marvmoogy Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 Hi all, I've always been a bit 'meh' when it comes to putting lights in vehicles, but I want to give it a whirl with my Knight Titan. The 'big idea' is to have a green LEDs in the head. I'd also like to have some red ones in the bottom of the engine exhausts that pulse...never going all the way out, but fading-brighter-fading-dimmer-fading brighter etc etc Finally, I want to magnetise the weapon arms....but I want a blue LED for the battle cannon and a red one for the thermal cannon. I'm *hoping* that rare earth magnets can conduct electricity without this messing up the strength of them (any physics types on here) so I can solder the wires to one side and the current will pass through to the other so I can mount the LEDs in the weapon barrels themselves. Is this a good idea? Also, any ideas how I would get all of this running off 1 switch? I guess I may need to make my own PCB for it :( any and all advice gratefully received! Cheers all! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurth Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I'd also like to have some red ones in the bottom of the engine exhausts that pulse...never going all the way out, but fading-brighter-fading-dimmer-fading brighter etc etcThat would probably require some additional electronics to alter the brightness. You can buy blinking LEDs, but they simply go on and off at a fixed frequency. I'm *hoping* that rare earth magnets can conduct electricity without this messing up the strength of them (any physics types on here) so I can solder the wires to one side and the current will pass through to the other so I can mount the LEDs in the weapon barrels themselves. Is this a good idea?How is the current going to return? If you have one magnet you can pass electricity through it in one direction, and since the model itself isn’t likely to be able to act as an earth, you’re going to need a second contact somewhere to get it back to the battery. One way would be to do it without magnets, using 1.5 or 2.5 mm mono or stereo jacks instead — if there’s room in the model, of course. Using these, you could solder the wires to the different contacts, then mount the jack in the arm and the plug in the shoulder (or the other way around), which would result in secure electrical and physical connections. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3628839 Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvmoogy Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 cheers, gurth - I hadn't thought of jacks and that would give me more rigidity at the join! Cheers! Now need to brush up on my electronics skills! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3629040 Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffTibbetts Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I'd also like to have some red ones in the bottom of the engine exhausts that pulse...never going all the way out, but fading-brighter-fading-dimmer-fading brighter etc etcThat would probably require some additional electronics to alter the brightness. You can buy blinking LEDs, but they simply go on and off at a fixed frequency. >I'm *hoping* that rare earth magnets can conduct electricity without this messing up the strength of them (any physics types on here) so I can solder the wires to one side and the current will pass through to the other so I can mount the LEDs in the weapon barrels themselves. Is this a good idea?How is the current going to return? If you have one magnet you can pass electricity through it in one direction, and since the model itself isn’t likely to be able to act as an earth, you’re going to need a second contact somewhere to get it back to the battery. One way would be to do it without magnets, using 1.5 or 2.5 mm mono or stereo jacks instead — if there’s room in the model, of course. Using these, you could solder the wires to the different contacts, then mount the jack in the arm and the plug in the shoulder (or the other way around), which would result in secure electrical and physical connections. That's brilliant. Seriously. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3629173 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspecti Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Heh I just added green LEDs in my Knight's head, so that the green glow comes from behind his head. My original plan was to drill holes through the Knight's eyes and have the light come through there, but I'm a dum dum and didn't check how big the LEDs are first, so this will have to do. http://koti.mbnet.fi/aspecti/kuvat/figut/DSC01100.JPG Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3629363 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAWARIS1 Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 ive just done 2 with eyes, one blue (my friends) and one purple(mine). the blue led's were 3mm and too big to put one for each eye, so i have on in the centre and the eyes are drilld through. if you look and the head before you glu it together there is a cavity ion the back of it, i have drilled through to that so the one led can shine through. for the purple one the led's are 2mm and are small enough that you can use one for each eye. having saide that there isnt enough room at the side of the eye to put them at the front, so i have them in the back of the head with the eyes drilled through. i thought about doing the melta one, which is my friends, with a red led but got carried away and glued the gun before i did. :( im not sure how you'll go with using the magnets to conduct the electricity. if you solder wires to them they will get hot and lose their magnetism. the idea of the pulsing one is pretty cool. look forward to seeing photo's when its done. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3629754 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurth Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Instead of putting an LED in each eye, you could make a light pipe: open up the eyes, put the LED in the middle of the head, and then cut clear plastic (such as from a sprue for a cockpit canopy) so that it neatly fits between the eye opening and the LED — the smoother the contact with the LED, the better. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3629825 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ilbram_Harker Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 You know, I was thinking about using the LED lights for terrain since it's easier to put it inside a building than say a Terminator model. I guess I should've known you could also put them into Titans. I would want to try putting a Red LED into where Horus's head chamber lights up. Forgeworld just made it recently. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3630033 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspecti Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I manned up and drilled through the eyes and made a cavity behind the head to fit two LED lights there. The result is much better, so thanks DAWARIS1 for showing example :)http://koti.mbnet.fi/aspecti/kuvat/figut/DSC01107.jpg Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3630101 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemal Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Wow - might have to try this with my Titan's (epic scaled...) they look awesome.. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3631465 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaEntireMac Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 I've never looked into this. Do any of you have links to install the components/power supplies? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3631520 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspecti Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 I simply bought a pre-wired LED kit on ebay from user machinator248. For anything more complicated than that I have no clue though :D Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3631836 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gurth Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Here's a quick link to my old article about lighting up a Land Raider. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3631971 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RazorDaemon Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Another method, one that I have used, is Hot Glue. Use hot glue to secure wires on the inside, unless you've just drilled a hole to thread the wires through. Also the Hot Glue can be used if you don't have clear plastic or if you have trouble getting it into place without getting glue on it and ruining the smooth clear texture. For my Marine's Helmet I just put a dab in it, then pushed the LED bulb so that the glue just barely presses out of the eye sockets, also making a nice bubble lens instead of flat, and the hot glue works like an LED Wire bringing the light directly forward so it appear that like the light source is recessed in the helmet, since it is. For the brightness adjustment, all you would need is a dimming switch instead of just an on/off switch. Be sure and double check, "Sliding switch" does not mean dimming, it just means left/right instead of a button or toggle. Another option is to have an additional circuit in the arms dedicated to the weapon, especially if you wish to have the arms be removable. You can easily fit a button-cell battery with the switch, wires and LEDs, that setup fits in a single Space Marine on foot. Also, depending on how many LEDs you have, that allows them to receive ample power without having one larger cluster somewhere. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3632445 Share on other sites More sharing options...
marvmoogy Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 visible wires may not be an altogether bad thing.....could paint them to show them as power conduits Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3632466 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaEntireMac Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Another method, one that I have used, is Hot Glue. Use hot glue to secure wires on the inside, unless you've just drilled a hole to thread the wires through. Also the Hot Glue can be used if you don't have clear plastic or if you have trouble getting it into place without getting glue on it and ruining the smooth clear texture. For my Marine's Helmet I just put a dab in it, then pushed the LED bulb so that the glue just barely presses out of the eye sockets, also making a nice bubble lens instead of flat, and the hot glue works like an LED Wire bringing the light directly forward so it appear that like the light source is recessed in the helmet, since it is. For the brightness adjustment, all you would need is a dimming switch instead of just an on/off switch. Be sure and double check, "Sliding switch" does not mean dimming, it just means left/right instead of a button or toggle. Another option is to have an additional circuit in the arms dedicated to the weapon, especially if you wish to have the arms be removable. You can easily fit a button-cell battery with the switch, wires and LEDs, that setup fits in a single Space Marine on foot. Also, depending on how many LEDs you have, that allows them to receive ample power without having one larger cluster somewhere. O.o pics? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3632470 Share on other sites More sharing options...
RazorDaemon Posted March 25, 2014 Share Posted March 25, 2014 Another method, one that I have used, is Hot Glue. Use hot glue to secure wires on the inside, unless you've just drilled a hole to thread the wires through. Also the Hot Glue can be used if you don't have clear plastic or if you have trouble getting it into place without getting glue on it and ruining the smooth clear texture. For my Marine's Helmet I just put a dab in it, then pushed the LED bulb so that the glue just barely presses out of the eye sockets, also making a nice bubble lens instead of flat, and the hot glue works like an LED Wire bringing the light directly forward so it appear that like the light source is recessed in the helmet, since it is. For the brightness adjustment, all you would need is a dimming switch instead of just an on/off switch. Be sure and double check, "Sliding switch" does not mean dimming, it just means left/right instead of a button or toggle. Another option is to have an additional circuit in the arms dedicated to the weapon, especially if you wish to have the arms be removable. You can easily fit a button-cell battery with the switch, wires and LEDs, that setup fits in a single Space Marine on foot. Also, depending on how many LEDs you have, that allows them to receive ample power without having one larger cluster somewhere. O.o pics? I didn't do WIP pics, I will next time, and since I didn't do WIP I can't bring myself to show him close to completion but not there yet. Don't ask why, I don't know why I do the things I do. But Soon™. Edit: I do have some from a different project, its a Dark Eldar Razorwing. Sorry for posting Dark Eldar in Bolter and Chainsword, but its for the wiring not the model I also used parts of a sprue glued to the hull to make a frame for the battery. Don't have one with the hot glue, I used some by hole the wires right next to the hole for the stand so the wires wouldnt get caught in it, as I plan to have the stand removable. I also used some to hold the acutal bulbs in place, here just the two wire leads of them are visible. You can also see the prong leads of the switch I used near the rear of the fuselage. Should've taken one with the lights on too perhaps, but its currently only base coated anyway. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3632938 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DAWARIS1 Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 that looks awesome Aspecti. I'm glad i did it to mine, but know i've been bitten by the bug and want to do my entire eldar army :) maybe my wolves to, as i havent built any vehicles yet. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3647144 Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOTT_FRANCIS Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 I am also currently lighting my Knights eyes, but am using fibre optics, the glow is more precise and not quite so bright, I am running 2 fibre optic cables from the eyes, through the head, out into the cavity, through a drilled hole in the cockpit wall to a single led in the chassis. I have also added a laser diode to the cannon arm. I will post pictures when I can figure out how or when I can. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3649671 Share on other sites More sharing options...
SCOTT_FRANCIS Posted April 12, 2014 Share Posted April 12, 2014 WIP report started on my Fibre optic and Laser LED Knight. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/288386-electronics-in-minis/#findComment-3650678 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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